About AMSA

DO Advisory Board

The DO Advisory Board exists to provide an osteopathic community and voice within AMSA. The DO-AB also serves to promote and empower as well as to advocate for our members on issues relevant to osteopathic medical education and the osteopathic medical profession. We also work to foster strong collaborations between AMSA and other osteopathic organizations.

Proposed Changes to ACGME Common Program Requirements

The following proposed changes in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACMGE) common program requirements (CPR) will have significant impact on osteopathic graduates who wish to enter into allopathic residencies or fellowships after July 2014 and July 2015, respectively.

III.A.2. Prerequisite clinical education for entry into ACGME-accredited residency programs must be accomplished in ACGME-accredited residency programs or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)-accredited residency programs located in Canada.

Effective July 2015:

II.A.3. Prerequisite clinical education for entry into ACGME-accredited fellowship programs must meet the following qualifications:

III.A.3.a) for fellowship programs that require completion of a residency program, the completion of an ACGME-accredited residency program or an RCPSC-accredited residency program located in Canada.

II.A.3.b) for fellowship programs that require completion of some clinical education, clinical education that is accomplished in ACGME accredited residency programs or RCPSC-accreditted residency programs located in Canada.

What does this mean for osteopathic medical students and graduates?

According to the ACGME, this change would only affect 1.1% of core residents and 6.9% of residents entering into subspecialty fellowships.

But for osteopathic medical students entering into specialties in ACGME advanced (as opposed to categorical) residencies with a preliminary internship year the impact is more significant. An AOA accredited traditional rotating internship (TRI) will no longer be accepted to fulfill the advanced residency requirement starting July 2014. So interns must have attended either an ACGME or RCPSC internship or repeat an internship in an ACGME accredited program to continue on to an ACGME residency. This will prove especially difficult for those needing to undertake an intern year in the 4 states that require an AOA TRI for DO licensure (FL, MI, PA, OK) unless a Resolution 42 waiver is granted to bypass this requirement.

Similarly, for osteopathic residents entering into ACGME subspecialty fellowships, they must have attended an ACGME or RCPSC accredited residency in order to be eligible starting in July 2015. This would significantly affect, although not be limited to, those desiring to enter into allopathic medicine subspecialty fellowships as well as those specialties that have few fellowships or where the AOA currently completely lacks fellowships.

More information and the impact statement can be found on the ACGME website at: http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/reviewComment/rev_programReq_Index.asp